Welcome to Echoing the Sound. You'll find that quite a few things have changed here since the last iteration of the board so be sure to check out the FAQ. This is a completely fresh start - You'll need to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed (and look for the registration email in your spam folder). To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Why is every headline on every news story about this accompanied by a stock photo of some bearded white dude smoking a GIANT novelty-sized blunt? When the legislation comes into effect, are we going to give clemency to people convicted of cannabis related offences? You know, the ones who look less like that (short answer: no; because Canada is racist as fuck).

Why is every headline on every news story about this accompanied by a stock photo of some bearded white dude smoking a GIANT novelty-sized blunt? When the legislation comes into effect, are we going to give clemency to people convicted of cannabis related offences? You know, the ones who look less like that (short answer: no; because Canada is racist as fuck).

You and your wild accusations. Canada is racist. The nurses are stealing my money.
All the stock photos I have seen so far have mostly been of green plants.

You and your wild accusations. Canada is racist. The nurses are stealing my money.

Uh, maybe you have me confused with someone else? I have nurses in my family...

Incarceration rates for drug offenders bespeak a HORRIBLY racist system that needs redress.

As for pot imagery, just about every major newspaper has photos on file from "pot march" demonstrators and the one image they inevitably recycle whenever the legalization debate comes up is the one I alluded to; current articles from the Star and the Globe and the Post are all using it.

Fair enough but do you seriously think there is correlation between using a photo of some white dude stoner and perceived racist attitudes in the justice system?

Yes. I do. The debate is (as usual) framed around primarily being of concern to white people, and how new legislation will be 'mainstreaming stoner culture', such as it is. What we're actually facing is a possible increase in charges for cannabis-related offences, which you can bet will predominantly target Black and Indigenous people. But we're too busy talking about the white protesters, not the people who this legislation really is going to affect.

For possessing anything over the legally limited amount of cannabis (which is 30g for non-medical use), or for growing/selling/transporting/ingesting it 'improperly', however Provincial jurisdiction dictates, we're investing the Police with a whole bunch of new powers to search homes and seize property without a warrant. Wonder which neighbourhoods they'll decide 'urgently' need to be searched by surprise? Oh, and if you're wondering, a prior criminal conviction record will still fuck your life up forever. Also, the new federal sentencing rules for people convicted under these incoming cannabis laws are harsher than they were before.

Yes. I do. The debate is (as usual) framed around primarily being of concern to white people, and how new legislation will be 'mainstreaming stoner culture', such as it is. What we're actually facing is a possible increase in charges for cannabis-related offences, which you can bet will predominantly target Black and Indigenous people. But we're too busy talking about the white protesters, not the people who this legislation really is going to affect.

For possessing anything over the legally limited amount of cannabis (which is 30g for non-medical use), or for growing/selling/transporting/ingesting it 'improperly', however Provincial jurisdiction dictates, we're investing the Police with a whole bunch of new powers to search homes and seize property without a warrant. Wonder which neighbourhoods they'll decide 'urgently' need to be searched by surprise? Oh, and if you're wondering, a prior criminal conviction record will still fuck your life up forever. Also, the new federal sentencing rules for people convicted under these incoming cannabis laws are harsher than they were before.

Where can I read about the provincial jurisdiction that grants the police these new powers? Is it possible (for the public) to pull data on these things in the future to see if this indeed unfolds as you suggest?

Where can I read about the provincial jurisdiction that grants the police these new powers? Is it possible (for the public) to pull data on these things in the future to see if this indeed unfolds as you suggest?

Interpretation from province to province will be up in the air until October when the Act comes into force (you can read the final version of the Federal bill here). Warrantless searches happen when the authorities determine there are certain 'urgent' situations in play, and I'm hearing from lawyers that the Act will add more potential interpretations to this list that the Police can use in order to erode limits on their search and seizure powers.

As for who is keeping tabs on these numbers of arrests and so forth, well, there are a number of studies, but not a lot of robust demographic data compiled in a way that makes it easy to see who is targeted. However, like I said, it's probably not going to be in neighbourhoods like Rosedale and Outremont where they'll be flexing their muscle for warrantless searches. Organizations like the CCLA exist to advocate for civil liberties in the face of these changes, and their work led to me discovering more about this legislation's potential impact. So, basically I'd recommend giving them a look.

From what I've read at various media outlets, Greyhound asked the federal government for money, but the government said no. So the cancellation of service in all but 2 provinces is actually Trudeau's fault.

From what I've read at various media outlets, Greyhound asked the federal government for money, but the government said no. So the cancellation of service in all but 2 provinces is actually Trudeau's fault.

I read the report this morning from the Canadian Press. That's terrible news for Northern communities, particularly those in remote locations and in poverty. Greyhound Canada are citing "a 41 per cent decline in ridership since 2010 [caused by] persistent competition from subsidized national and inter-regional passenger transportation services, the growth of new low-cost airlines, regulatory constraints and the continued growth of car ownership" as reason for their pullout, along with increasing costs... and I'm pretty sure that's a trend which started long before Trudeau took office. But yeah, it would be real nice if the federal government (and provincial ones) ended subsidies for car ownership and airlines (GAS AND AIRFARE IS TOO FUCKING CHEAP). Oh, and uphold their promise to stop subsidizing fossil fuels entirely. Not holding my breath, though...

Hard to imagine Greyhound no longer offering services for so many provinces now. I used them a couple times, once with my folks on a house hunting trip to go from Petawawa, ON to Calgary, AB back in 2002 and then again to get from Calgary to Vancouver, B.C. in 2008 when i went to visit my great grandmother for her 100th birthday.

I remember hearing about that gruesome murder of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus going from Edmonton, AB to Winnipeg, MB where he was stabbed, beheaded and cannibalized by Vince Li. Even though it was an isolated incident and not something that would be a common occurrence on a bus-line, I bet ridership trended downward A LOT after that.

I'm really finding it hard to keep my head above the fray with all the bullshit flying around. There was a mass shooting down the street, right by one of the restaurants where I ate with my family the night before, and there are dead kids and everybody's lost their fucking minds in the insane amount of racist xenophobic fascist rhetorical responses to it. I don't know what to write, except that the grief and anger and disappointment of this year has just... been... exhausting.

I'm really finding it hard to keep my head above the fray with all the bullshit flying around. There was a mass shooting down the street, right by one of the restaurants where I ate with my family the night before, and there are dead kids and everybody's lost their fucking minds in the insane amount of racist xenophobic fascist rhetorical responses to it. I don't know what to write, except that the grief and anger and disappointment of this year has just... been... exhausting.

Welcome to how it feels to live a couple hundred miles south

I hope, for the sake of your entire country, that cooler heads prevail.

He's got some weird new tactics for shutting down criticism, including accusing the opposition of making bomb threats in response to questions about basic income and instructing staffers to clap over questions during news conferences so that nobody can hear what questions are actually being asked.